Air-supply buoy for submarines



Oct. 1, 1929. SLATER I 1,729,666

AIR SUPPLY BUOY FOR SUBMAR INES Filed July 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVE/V T0 R- ARTH R R. 5L TER Jazz Oct. 1, 1929.

A. R. SLATER AIR SUPPLY BUOY FOR SUBMARINES Filed July 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ARTHUR R SLATER Patented Get. 1, 1929 mates PATENT OFFlQ-E ARTHUR R. SLATER, OF SANTA. CRUZ, CALIEORETIA AIR-SUPPLY BUOY FOR SUBMARIIIES Application filed July 25,

My invention relates to improvements in an air supply buoy detachably connected to the shell of a submarine and arranged to be released to carry a flexible air connection to the surface of the water to supply air to the submarine while submerged.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved device for supplying air to submarines in case the submarine is unable to rise to the surface of the water before the air supply is exhausted.

Another object is to provide an improved device which is normally carried in sealing relation to a recess formed in the shell of a submarine and which is displaceable from within the submarine for carrying an air connection to the surface of the water.

A further object is to provide an improved device in which a buoy is normally carried seated within a recess formed in the shell of a submarine and projecting only slightly from the surface thereof and which will effectually seal an air connection and mooring cable within such recess whereby the device may be carried in an inoperative position without interfering with the normal operation of the submarine.

A further object is to provide an improved device provided with an air inlet connection which is normally held tightly closed and which is automatically opened to admit a supply of air to a submerged submarine when an air supplybuoy reaches the surface of the water.

Another object is to provide an improved device which is entirely operable from within the submarine whereby an air supply may be quickly and easily obtained in event of accident while submerged.

A still further object is to provide an improved device of the character described which is simple in construction and which may be easily applied to a submarine and kept ready for use in case of emergency.

1 accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present application wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts through- 1928. Serial No. 295,167.

out the specification and drawings and in which- 4 Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my improved air supply buoy as seated upon the shell of submarine Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the device as shown in Fig. 1 and as seen from inside the submarine shell; and

Fig. 3 is a broken vertical section showing the buoy released and floating in o )erative position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate in general a buoy con sisting preferably of a hollow fx chamber having a tapered body poi arranged to seat within the upper portie-i a recess 3 formed in the shell 4 of a submarine and correspondingly tapered to form a seat for the body portion 2 of the buoy. The buoy is provided with an enlarged upper portion forming a flange 6 arranged to seat upon the outer surface of the shell at around the recess, packing 7 being provided to insure a water-tight seat if desired.

An air inlet member designated in general by the numeral 8 is mounted within the buoy 1, said member 8 having its upper portion extending outwardly through the closed top of the buoy and provided with a valve seat arranged to receive an outwardly openi g valve 9. A hood 11 is secured upon the top of the buoy 1 to extend over the out'=.vardly extending end of the air inlet member and the valve, said hood having 0 12 formed adjacent the upper surrace of the buoy to admit air as hereinafter more fully described. The member 8 is provided with an ofli' L e::- tension 13 extending downwardly through the bottom of the chamber. The valve 9 provided with a stem 14 extending (10W?!- wardly through an elongated guide 16 provided upon the bottom of the buoy, said sten extending outwardly from. the chaa. through said guide The uide 16 is arraged to form a water-tight connection around. the stem 14 in any suitable manner.

A tubular air connection 17 has one end extending into the body of the submarine through the bottom of the recess 3 as at 18, said connection opening into the submarine and being secured thereto in any suitable manner. The other end of the air connection 17 is secured in connection with the inwardly extending end of the air inlet member 8. The tubular connection 17 is normally coiled within the lower portion of the recess 3 and is enclosed therein by the buoy 1 when seated in normal position in connection with the shell 4 of the submarine.

A mooring cable 19 has its ends secured to suitable shackles 21 and 22 secured upon the bottom of the buoy 1 and the bottom of the recess 3 respectively. The cable is normally coiled within the lower portion of the recess 3 together with the tubular connection 17.

The buoy 1 is secured upon the shell 4 of the submarine in sealing relation to the recess 3 by means of suitable securing members 23 extending through the shell 4 into engagement with the flange portion 6 of the buoy. The members 23 preferably consist of bolts threaded into the flange portion of the buoy and operable from inside of the submarine for clamping the buoy into tightly seated relation to the shell 4, and for releasing the buoy when desired. A plurality of displacing members 24 are threaded into the shell and arranged to be moved from inside of the submarine to press the flange 6 outwardly away from the shell 4 when it is desired to release the buoy from the submarine.

A link 26 is pivotally mounted upon an arm 27 carried by the lower end of the guide 16 and slidably and pivotally connected to a pin 28secured transversely through the lower end of the valve stem 14. The link 26 is arranged to be moved to lower the valve stem and hold the valve 9 firmly seated upon the outer end of the air inlet member 8 when the buoy is seated upon the shell 4 as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. A spring 29 is mounted around the stem 14 and arranged to exert an outward pressure just suflicient to unseat the valve 9 against atmospheric pressure.

In operation, the shell 4 is constructed to provide the recess 3 as shown and the tubular air connection 17 and the mooring; cable 19 are secured between the bottom of the recess 3 and the hollow buoyant member 1 as shown, said connection 17 and cable 19 being coiled together within the lower portion of the recess 3 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The buoy 1 is seated within the recess 1 and the securing members 23 are tightened from within the submarine to secure the buoy in seated position sealing the recess 3 and enclosing the air connection 17 and the cable 19. The link 26 is moved to tightly close the valve 9 as the buoy .is seated, thereby pre venting water from entering the top of the air inlet member 8 when the submarine is submerged.

In the event the submarine is unable to rise to the surface of the water after being submerged, the securing members 23 are loosened to release the buoy, and if necessary the displacing members 24 are moved to unseat the buoy from the shell 4, thereby permit ting the buoy to disengage the recess 3 and rise to the surface of the water. As the buoy rises from the submarine, the tubular connection 17 and the cable 19 are uncoiled and their ends carried upwardly with the buoy. The link 26 releases the valve 9 as soon as the buoy is released from the submarine. However, as the spring 29 is arranged to open the valve only against atmospheric pressure, the pressure of water against the upper surface of the valve 9 prevents said valve from opening until the buoy reaches the surface. As soon as the hydrostatic pressure is removed from the valve, the spring 29 raises the valve 9 and permits air to enter the top of the air inlet member 8 which is now supported by the buoyabove the surface of the water. Air may now be drawn into the submarine through the tubular member 17 to sustain life therein until the submarine may be raised to the surface. The hood 11 admits air to the inlet 8 through the openings 12, but prevents any material amount of water splashing over the top of the buoy from entering the inlet 8. In event the valve stem 9 should stick and to be opened by the spring 29, air may be pumped in any convenient manner to provide sufficient pressure within the tubular member 17 to open the valve after the buoy has floated to the surface of the water.

It will be noted that in normal position, the buoy and its connection occupy but relatively little space and cause substantially no obstruction upon the surface or within the submarine, and no interference is caused to the ordinary operation of the submarine. When released, the buoy is effectually moored to the submarine by the cable 19 so that a continuous supply of air may be drawn into the submarine through the connection 17 While I have illustrated the principal of my invention and one simple embodiment of the device, numerous modifications may of course be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore do not wish to restrict myself to the specific details of construction as illustrated and described, but desire to avail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An air supply buoy for submarines comprising a hollow floatable chamber having a body portion arranged to be received within a recess formed in the shell of a submarine; meansoperable from within the submarine for detachably securing the chamber in sealing relation to the recess; an air inlet member extending through the chamber; a flexible tubular member having one end connected to the air inlet member and the other end connected to an opening into the submarine, said tubular member being normally coiled within the recess and enclosed therein by the chamber and being arranged to be extended to the surface of the water when the chamber is released; a valve mounted in connection with the outer end of the air inlet member and provided with a stem extending through the bottom of the chamber; means connected to said stem for normally holding the valve closed when the chamber is in normal position with the recess; and a spring mounted in connection with the stem for automatically opening the valve when the chamber rises to the surface of the water after being released from the submarine.

2. An air supply buoy for submarines comprising a hollow floatable chamber having a body portion arranged to be received within a recess formed in the shell of a submarine; means operable from within the submarine for detachably securing the chamber in sealing relation to the recess; an air inlet member extending through the chamber; a flexible tubular member having one end connected to the air inlet member and the other end connected to an opening into the submarine said tubular member being normally coiled within the recess and enclosed therein by the chamber and being arranged to be extended to the surface of the water when the chamber is released; a valve mounted in connection with the outer end of the air inlet member and provided with a stem extending tl rough the bottom of the chamber; means connected to said stem for normally holding the valve closed when the chamber is in normal position with the recess; a spring mounted in connec tion with the stem for automatically opening the valve when the chamber rises to the surface of the water after being released from the submarine; and a mooring cable connected between the chamber and the submarine and normally coiled within the recess with the tubular member to moor the chamber to the submarine when released.

3. An air supply buoy for submarines comprising a hollow fioatable chamber having a tapered body portion arranged to seat with a correspondingly tapered portion of a recess formed in the shell of a submarine; means operable from within the submarine for detachably securing the chamber in sealing relation to the recess; an air inlet member extending through the chamber; a flexible tubular member having one end connected to the inlet member and the other end connected to and opening into the body of the submarine, said tubular member being normally enclosed within the recess by the chamber and arranged to be extended to the surface of the water when the chamber is released from the submarine; a

valve mounted in connection with the outer end of the air inlet member and provided with a stem extending through the bottom of the chamber; means mounted in connection with said stem for holding the valve in closed position when the chamber is in normal position within the recess; and a spring mountedin connectionwiththe stem for automatically opening the valve when the chamber rises to the surface of the water after being released from the submarine.

4.:- An air supply buoy for submarines comprising a hollow fioatable chamber having a tapered body portion arranged to seat within a correspondingly tapered portion of a recess formed in the shell of a submarine and also having a flange arranged to seat against the surface of the submarine around the recess; means extending through the shell into engagement with the flange for detachably securing the chamber in seated position sealing the recess; means extending through the shell and operable from within the submarine for displacing the chamber outwardly from the recess; an air inlet member extending through the chamber; a flexible tubular member having one end connected to the air inlet member and the other end connected to and opening into the submarine; a valve mounted in connection with the outer end of the air inlet member and provided with a stem extending through the chamber; means connected to the stem for normally closing the valve when the chamber is seated within the recess; and a spring arranged to automatically open the valve when the chamber rises to the surface of the water after being released from the submarine.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my sig nature.

ARTHUR R. SLATER. 

